President Donald Trump announced that the United States will use Venezuelan oil to replenish the Strategic National Reserves, which he said had been "virtually emptied" under the previous administration.
"One of the things I am going to do with the Venezuelan Oil is fill up the Strategic National Reserves which, because of Sleepy Joe Biden, has been virtually emptied," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
"The 'topping out' process will begin very shortly, and is a Gift from Venezuela to the People of the United States. Thank you!" he added.
US claims majority control over 64bln barrels of Venezuelan oil
Earlier, Trump announced on August 28 that Washington has secured "majority control" over more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela's proven oil reserves, marking a sweeping expansion of US involvement in the South American country's energy sector.
The arrangement, which Trump said was reached through cooperation between US officials, Venezuela's interim leadership and private companies, would cover roughly one-fifth of Venezuela's proven reserves.
"At my direction, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, working closely with Highly Respected Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, and, through a partnership with private business, have secured majority US control of more than 65 BILLION BARRELS of proven Oil Reserves in Venezuela, at no cost to the American Taxpayer," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The US president offered no details on the mechanism through which Washington would exercise that control, nor did he identify the companies or specific fields included in the arrangement.
The announcement follows weeks of talks between Washington and Caracas over granting US firms long-term access to Venezuelan oilfields while directing a portion of future production toward the US market.
Venezuelan authorities are expected to approve new exploration and production agreements next week involving 17 strategic oilfields, with American companies expected to receive significant access.
Source:Websites
